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New 90 gallon set up

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Hello everyone. My wife and I are starting a new 90 gallon discus tank. We both know what we are looking for in setting the tank up but is how to go about it and if it is the right thing to do is the question... Our plan is to have a planted tank with refugium filter system or standard wet dry filter,3d background to make this tank look as natural as possible. The questions we have are what type of lighting, best filtration and co2 system??? Is it absolutely necessary to have co2 for planted tanks? We have had success with keeping discus and have had breeding pairs... Although we don't know a thing about planted aquariums and my wife is clueless about lighting... Any help would be great!!!!

I personally haven't had a problem having plants without any special equipment. I will rarely throw in some plant food, but it is rare. The plants are great since they reduce nitrates. I have had success with them with gravel and sand substrate. As far as lighting, the discus prefer dim lights, so you have to research the plants you are buying, there are some out there that don't require as much light. Another solution is floating plants, they provide great cover for the discus, but will suck up a lot of light for the plants underneath. You can go with brighter lights which will open up your options for plants, but the discus prefer dark. Also, if you are going to try and breed, or even if you don't, make sure you buy plants that can handle the higher water temp that discus prefer as most plants will croak over 82 degrees. I am by no means an expert at anything, but for they last few years have been able to keep the plants alive. I hope whatever shared with you will help you, and good luck!

Keeping discus and plants is difficult since nitrates must be kept very low at all times. Also as justinsofa has said, discus need temps above 82 F and most aquarium plants do not tolerate such temps for too long. Get discus plants (some suppliers do carry these.) Best to pot the plants with a piece of root tab fert.

Keeping breeding discus and plants is impossible due to the requirement of zero nitrates and phosphates at all times.

As for number of discus - the rule is six or more except for a breeding singular pair.

Last edited by Cermet; 11-28-2012 at 12:07 PM.

Knowledge is fun(damental)

A 75 gal with eight Discus, fake plants, and a lot of wood also with sand substrate. Clean up crew is down to just two Sterba's Corys. Filters: continuous new water flow; canister w/UV, in-tank algae scrubber!! Finally, junked the nitrate removal unit from hell.

Lighting for most plants should be around 2 watts per gallon. Anubis and java fern can grow in as little as 1 watt per gallon. I use co2 because I have very high lighting and you need to balance out the factors. (to much lighting, not enough co2 = unhealthy plants)(not enough lighting, too much co2 = dead fish)
Co2 is not 100% necessary since there are additives you can buy for your aquarium. Same with the substrate. Filtration depends on how much space, if you have enough go with a refugium (although I'm pretty sure this will make added co2 useless), if you decide normal filter I recommend a ehiem pro 3, as they are quality products and the added co2 can't escape through them.

This might just be me but I was always unable to keep plants alive with discus. Mine simply preferred really high temperatures, like 86 f all the time. Any lower and the stress stripes and hunger strikes would begin... Probably because mine were only young adults and not quite full adults yet...

It really doesn't need to be all that complicated. I would have a sand bottom, lots of driftwood with anubias plants attached to the wood. (Anubias are not planted, but attached.) You would not need expensive lights and no CO2. You could also add some tall plants like Vals to the back of the tank. They also grow decently in sand and without high lights.

Since you tank is the same length as a 55 or 75, I would keep no other fish with those Discus other than maybe some cardinal tetra's or Bristlenose pleco's. You could probably have 5 Discus.

In my 100 gallon I am able to have 8. It is a tall tank (they love tall tanks) and with all tye plants bring the nitrates down and my uv sterilizer controling water quality I am able to get away with 1-2 water changes a week. ( usually I did 1 everyday).

+1 for LH, anubis and val look great, nice greens, and easy to grow. Anubis is a little slow on the growing so be patient.

Also I never keep a discus under 4-5" in a planted or substrated tank.